Reborn
by heartofnight15
Summary: Yugi Motou wakes up one day in a forest all alone. With no memories. After starting over with a new foster mother and a best friend who cant let him be down, he finally starts to feel normal. Suddenly he meets the mysterious and gorgeous Atemu Sennen and later his dark and sexy twin brother Yami Sennen and he realizes he's anything but normal. Rating may go up.
1. Prologue

**A/N: First ever fanfic! I would love to hear what you think in the reviews. Please don't flame, at least make it constructive criticism. Thanks! :) Enjoy and I hope to update weekly.**

**Summary: Yugi Motou wakes up one day in a forest all alone. With no memories. After starting over with a new foster mother and a best friend who cant let him be down, he finally starts to normal. Suddenly he meets the mysterious and gorgeous Atemu Sennen and later his dark and sexy twin brother Yami Sennen and he realizes he's anything but normal. **

**Based on the great book _Anew_ by Chelsea Fine author of _The Archers of Avalon_ series.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the Yugioh characters.**

**Reborn**

**Prologue**

He awoke with his face against cold, damp dirt. Morning sunlight cast a silent glow on the earth below and somewhere nearby a bird began to sing.

Dawn.

He looked across dirt and dead leaves at tall trees and wild shrubs swaying in the morning wind. He was in a forest.

A deserted and unfamiliar forest.

What the...?

Carefully he stood and canvassed the area, trying to make sense of his surroundings, but nothing triggered any memory as to why he'd slept in the woods. Nothing triggered any memory as to how he'd arrived there.

Nothing triggered any memory at all.

His breathing became more rapid as he tried to remember. He scanned the forest desperately, his tri-colored hair swinging around his head as he spun in circles and began to panic.

More birds were chirping now and the rising sun gave way to a shower of light, illuminating everything before him. Bright. Happy. Completely confusing.

He couldn't remember last night, or the night before, or the night before that...he couldn't remember anything.

Not his family, not his past. Nothing

He rummaged through his brain for something-any information at all. But his memories seemed lost. Stolen, even. As if plucked with magical precision from his head leaving nothing but emptiness.

Terror began to set in.

He closed his eyes and tried to think. There had to be something in the emptiness; something inside his head that could echo back a memory. He scanned his mind desperately until finally...

Click.

Hidden far away, in the back of his brain, was a tiny scrap of knowledge. It flitted about like a hummingbird, teasing him with answers as he chased it around. When he finally grasped it, his eyes flew open with two revelations.

His name was Yugi Motou.

And he was fifteen years old.

Aside from that, he remembered nothing.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N I know the first chapter was really short and vague, but this chapter will explain a little more (maybe). Anyway, I'll be leaving in a week away from a computer so I'll try to post a few more chapters to keep you occupied until I get back. **

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! because if I did Yami/Atemu wouldn't have had to leave and he and Yugi would live happily together.**

**Enjoy the story! :)**

_Two years later..._

The third weekend in June was to most people, a three-day stretch of summer. But to the townspeople of Domino, Japan, it was known as the Kissing Festival. For three weekend nights residents would gather in the town center for fun, food, and kissing.

Lots and lots of kissing.

It was tradition to greet you neighbor-or any other random stranger you came across-with a kiss. Sometimes these kisses were an innocent peck on the cheek and other times a passionate mouth-to-mouth embrace. Either way, it was difficult to spend an evening at the Kissing Festival without getting smooched. Which was why Yugi wanted to go home.

He stood amidst the kissing chaos in the town square, waiting for Joey-his best friend and self-declared fun times guide to life-to show up, while glancing around at the evening's festivities. Kissing booths, kissing workshops, kissing competitions...all across town the celebration was in full swing.

It was similar to a New Year's Eve party, but instead of mistletoe the townsfolk hung paper stars above their doorways. And instead of a single evening with champagne and confetti, there was an entire weekend with parades and, well, confetti.

Joey was late, which was no surprise, but Yugi didn't like standing by herself in a crowd of tongue-happy citizens. His fear of being kissed by some well-meaning neighbor was growing by the second.

He kicked at the sidewalk with a scuffed-up sneaker, trying to look uninterested as his violet eyes traced the familiar drawings he'd inked on the toes and sides of his shoes.

Yugi had a tendency to doodle. He drew on his arms, his legs, his notebooks. But mostly he drew on his shoes. And he drew on thing in particular. A circular symbol with a strangely shaped eye.

It was the only memory-or rather, image-his broken mind had managed to retrieve since his "great awakening" in the woods two years ago. And it floated in and out of his dreams relentlessly.

Yugi looked down at his feet where he'd drawn the mysterious symbol dozens of times. Surely it meant something. Surely his brain had salvaged the image for a reason. But Yugi couldn't remember.

Which was the story of his life.

His chest tightened as he thought back over the last twenty-seven months. The day he awoke in the outer forest of Domino was the scariest day of his life. No fear could compare to the fear of the unknown. Especially when the unknown was him.

The days following his awakening were still a blur. Yugi remembered hospitals, social workers, and police reports, but not clearly. The first clear memory he had was the day he met his guardian-to-be, Mai Kujaku.

Mai was an attractive young businesswoman who managed to get custody of Yugi despite the many court hurdles associated with abandoned minors. She took Yugi in, have him a home, and tried to make his life as normal as possible.

But normal was wishful thinking.

Not knowing what existed in the past was like running through a maze blindfolded.

And that's how Yugi had felt.

Blind and lost. Running through a dark labyrinth without direction, without purpose. He was a missing person whom no one missed, and all his unanswered questions kept him up at night, staring at the ceiling in fear and confusion.

Without Mai and Joey in his life, Yugi probably would have gone crazy.

Mai had been compassionate and hopeful, always encouraging Yugi not to give up on his past, believing he could still recover his memories. She gave him support and understanding without treating him like a broken doll in need of repair.

Mai had been his rock.

And Joey had been his guiding light.

Joey kept Yugi from sinking into depression and crying his eyes out every day. If it weren't for Joey, Yugi would probably be a snotty, pathetic mess.

But Joey refused to let Yugi mope and constantly dragged him out of bed and into the real world, trying to make him have "fun" and "be happy."

It was obnoxious.

And Yugi loved him for it.

Joey had made it his mission to make Yugi fully participate in life.

So, here Yugi was, attending the blasted Kissing Festival. "Participating in life."

And where was Joey? Running late.

Like always.

Yugi half-heartedly watched the Main Street parade pass by. A float adorned with large papier-mâché lips cruised along advertising a variety of lipstick flavors, as couples—and strangers—throughout the street kissed unabashedly beneath hanging stars.

Yugi raised his brow and shook his head. The kissing tradition was bizarre.

Hello, I'm a stranger. I'm going to kiss you now. Smooch-smooch.

Yeah, no thanks.

Yugi glanced up and noticed a trio of paper stars floating above him from an extended tree branch.

Domino folks got a little star-crazy during the festival; draping stars from just about any place available. Trees, doorways…power lines.

Yugi quickly moved from beneath the kissing beacon to a star-free spot on the sidewalk and watched passing pedestrians casually greet one another with a smack on the lips before parting ways.

As if exchanging a kiss with your hair stylist and bank teller wasn't weird at all.

As he looked about the town square, his gaze caught on something.

Or rather, someone.

Across the street, beyond the parade and chaos, stood a guy wearing a black T-shirt and baseball hat.

The hat was pulled low over his eyes, making it impossible for Yugi to see his face, but he could feel him staring at him.

Intently. Deliberately.

Unashamed.

Yugi didn't move.

He tilted his head to the side and something deep within him began to stir.

The stirring started in the pit of his stomach, wove into his chest and wrapped itself around his heart; squeezing until his breaths became shallow.

His heart began to hammer as he eyed him more closely.

From the way he was dressed, Yugi assumed he was his age, seventeen or so, if not a few years older. Tufts of dark hair peeked from beneath the hat he wore, but shadows made it impossible to see his face clearly. The only features Yugi could make out were his square jaw and full lips.

Something about him seemed familiar.

Dangerous and safe and…familiar.

Yugi's heart kicked a beat. Who was he?

His brow was furrowed in deep thought when Joey suddenly appeared at his side, out of breath and doubled over.

Used to Joey's theatrics, Yugi barely glanced at his friend before looking back up, hoping to get one last look at the boy in black.

But he had vanished.

Yugi's hammering heart softened as it lowered in his chest.

"Phew!" Joey righted himself. His blonde hair was shaggy and going every direction. He wore a pair of loose fitting jeans and a baggy shirt.

Even sweaty and panting, Joey looked like the bad boy everyone at school saw him as.

Sucking in air, Joey said, "Fluffy—Mrs. Wong's ferocious dog—chased me all the way down Pine Street trying to tear me to shreds with his razor fangs. I barely got away."

Yugi scrunched his face. "Isn't Fluffy a Chihuahua?"

Still panting, Joey said, "Yes. A demon-possessed, human-eating Chihuahua."

Yugi nodded. "Sure."

Joey was a bit overdramatic.

As he caught his breath, Joey eyed Yugi up and down, clearly forgetting about his near-death experience with the world's smallest breed of dog. "The baggy white shirt, Yugi? Really?"

Yugi rolled his eyes. "It's a kissing festival…not a fashion festival."

"Well, thank God. Because, you'd be booed out of Domino." Joey ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, seriously. You have a closet the size of a castle full of hot, appropriately-sized shirts…and you choose a parachute top for the Kissing Festival? Have you learned nothing from me?"

"I've learned not to go near Fluffy unless I want to be eaten alive by the demon puppy from hell."

"I'm telling you, I almost died!"

"I'm sure it was a close call." Yugi smiled and looked back at the passing parade. The sun had dipped below the surrounding mountains, streaking the sky with the fading colors of dusk. Street lamps started to click on and tiny white lights strewn about the town began to shine against the falling shadows.

The scene was picturesque. Music in the air, twinkle lights in the sky, cobblestone streets and grassy knolls…it looked like a postcard.

"So, who should we kiss first?" Joey puckered his lips and tossed a mint in his mouth.

"Uh…you can kiss whomever you'd like. I'm only here for the free mouthwash," Yugi said as he began moving down Main Street, Joey at his side.

The festival freebies were the only things Yugi enjoyed about the event. Free toothpaste, free breath mints, free lip balm…it was like walking around an ad for the human mouth.

"Whatever." Joey tossed her blond bangs out of his eyes the way that gets the girl drooling. "You're here because you are fun and you really, really love kissing. I'm sure of it."

"Ha," Yugi said. "I'm pretty sure I've never liked kissing random strangers."

Joey smiled playfully and nudged Yugi's shoulder. "Oh, but that's the beauty of amnesia. You don't really know what you like, so I'm here to help you remember."

Yugi rolled his eyes, "You don't know what I like either."

"True. But I know you—or, at least, the you that's existed these last two years—and that guy is super cool and probably loves kissing strangers."

Yugi shook his head. "I doubt it."

Joey tsked. "You'll see, Yugi. We'll find you a hot stranger with yummy lips."

Strange lips? Ew. "Yeah. I'm all set on lips. I've got my own, thank you."

They walked past a makeshift dental booth advertising free deep cleanings. A balding man in white scrubs stood beside a dental chair, holding shiny exam instruments while he waved and smiled at people.

If red paint were splattered about, it would have looked like a scene from a horror movie.

Of course the deep cleanings were free. Who was going to pay a guy in the street to dig around inside their mouth?

Three girls Yugi recognized from school approached them with smiles, their attention primarily focused on Joey.

And why wouldn't it be? Joey looked like the sexy bad boy he pretends to be.

Yugi, on the other hand, probably looked like a giant cloud.

Joey, flirty and jovial as always, greeted each girl with double cheek kisses. Intimate cheek kisses, if ever there were such a thing.

Leave it to Joey to make cheek-kissing inappropriate.

Unfortunately, after exchanging kisses with Joey, the girls proceeded to give Yugi a kiss on each cheek as well. He tried to act like kissing random girls from school was perfectly normal.

But it wasn't.

It was an awkward fumbling of bobbing heads and bonking noses that left Yugi thoroughly embarrassed and grossed out. And there was the fact that he was gay.

The Kissing Festival: Worst. Idea. Ever.

After the girls moved on, Yugi hastily wiped his cheeks while Joey sighed happily. "Don't you just love the Kissing Festival?"

Yugi choked on a cough. "No, I don't. I think it's weird…and full of potential mouth diseases."

"Yeah, but you get to kiss guys like Valon," Joey said, staring after one of the departing girls.

Yugi scrunched his nose. Joey had tried to set Yugi and Valon up a few times last year, all with disastrous results. Joey was always trying to set Yugi up.

"He's not my type," Yugi said.

"Who is your type, hmm? I keep trying to hook you up with these smokin' hot guys and you keep shutting 'em down. You're missing out on some fabulous opportunities, Yugi."

"You mean like Valon back there? The guy who kicked-off our first date by asking me how old my hot mom was? Yeah, golden opportunity he was."

"In his defense, your mom is hot and looks like she's twenty."

"That's because Mai's not my mom, she's my guardian, and she's only twenty-seven. But that's not the point. The point is that I don't want to date anyone right now."

"Whatever," Joey said.

"No seriously." Yugi sighed. "The whole amnesia thing makes dating…just weird. And I don't feel like dealing with any of it right now."

Or ever.

A moment passed as Joey looked Yugi over thoughtfully. "I understand that you're afraid to connect with other people. I just don't want you to use your mysterious past as an excuse not to live your life, you know? You can't just exist, Yugi. You have to live."

Yugi slowly nodded at his friend's words before sighing. "You're right."

As a general rule, Joey was all gaming and flirting. But every once in a while, he surprised Yugi by saying something that sounded somewhat profound.

And while Yugi loved Joey's flare for drama and his insatiable thirst for girls, he was grateful for his friend's ability to switch from Whimsical Joey to Wise Joey when necessary.

"But that doesn't mean I have to date someone and get all attached."

Joey nodded. "Yeah, it makes no sense for you to get involved with some random guy."

"Exactly. No strings, no pressure."

"I totally agree." Joey wagged his eyebrows and stretched his arm out, displaying Freemont Park, the dead center of Domino. "Thankfully, you've come to the right place. Booths full of hot boys you can kiss without any complications."

Yugi stopped walking and lifted his eyebrows.

The grassy park was lined with dozens of kissing booths. Twinkle lights draped back-and-forth between tall trees, making a canopy of stars above the red and pink tables below. People were lined up at each booth, applying lipstick and perfume as they readied for their purchased kisses.

Behind the booths stood a large white gazebo housing a group of musicians. As a love song filled the air, couples intertwined their bodies and swayed to the melody.

Here and there, children ran about wearing red hats and eating lip-shaped chocolates, while women waited impatiently for quickie makeovers under a flashy pink tent.

The park was littered with couples kissing behind trees and making out on park benches. And paper stars were everywhere; in trees, on the ground, above heads, inside mouths….

It was like Valentine's Day.

On crack.

Yugi looked at the kissing booths, shook his head, and smiled. "No way. You can do your spit-swapping thing and I'll stay right here. I don't feel like paying someone to stick their tongue down my throat."

"They don't French kiss you," Joey said, smiling. "Unless you want them to." He wagged his eyebrows again, pulling a short laugh from Yugi.

"I'm still going to pass."

Joey pouted his lips. "Pretty please?"

Yugi shook his head. "Nope."

Joey pouted for another moment, but Yugi refused to give in.

"You're no fun." Joey straightened his hair which was still the same mess it always was. "I guess I'll have to go without you."

"I guess so."

"But just so you know," Joey pointed at Yugi with one finger and used his best authoritative voice, "I will get you to kiss—and I mean kiss—a hot boy this weekend. It will happen and you will like it."

As he spun around and headed to the booths Yugi smiled and called out after him, "Good luck with that!"

Joey's only response was a flick of his hand.

Watching his friend walk away, Yugi stood alone in the sea of kissing townsfolk and took a deep breath. The sun had completely disappeared from the sky, blanketing the park in a soft darkness contrasted by the many strands of tiny lights.

The warmth and stickiness of the summer day still clung to the night air as Yugi let his eyes roam across the park.

The band beneath the gazebo switched from an upbeat song to a ballad.

Once again, his eyes caught sight of the black-shirted stranger and he felt the same stirring as before come to life in his chest.

This time the stranger was farther away, his gaze focused on the festivities rather than on Yugi, giving him a moment to examine him privately.

There were no people near him; no one smearing kisses on him or dragging him beneath stars. His face still hidden in the shadows, he looked around the park.

He stood with confidence, his broad chest held high with his arms crossed in front. The dark hair escaping his hat seemed to show bits of red on the tips and was almost unruly around his neck in the summer heat…reminding him of…something.

What was it?

He felt a memory inside him begin to rustle.

Suffocated and imprisoned, it struggled to break free. Maybe if he continued to stare at the stranger, it would surface….

He suddenly turned in Yugi's direction, and although he couldn't see them, Yugi was certain his eyes were fixed on his.

He strained to see him more clearly.

Something about him was definitely familiar. As if the memory trapped within him was about this guy specifically.

Yugi's heart pounded as his mind started spinning. For a moment—for a wonderful split second—he felt as though he was close to unlocking the memory. That precious, lost treasure buried somewhere in the abyss of his mind.

He allowed his brain to tick and turn, roving his soul for something to grasp at.

It was there, he knew it. He could feel it.

It was piecing itself together…almost a complete thought…

So close…so close…almost there—

"A kiss and a treat?" came a cheerful voice next to Yugi, interrupting his internal quest.

Just like that, the memory disappeared back into the oblivion of his mind.

Yugi groaned inwardly. So close.

"Would you like a KissPop?" the voice asked. Scarlet glanced to the side to see a round woman with friendly eyes and rosy cheeks pushing a dessert cart. She held up a Popsicle shaped like a pair of lips.

Yugi was really starting to hate the Kissing Festival.

"Uh, no thank you." Yugi tried to look friendly despite his frustration with the interruption. Once the cheery woman wheeled away, Yugi glanced back to the stranger, hoping the sight of him would magically reignite his lost memory.

The guy stared at him for a long moment and Yugi's heart lifted at his gaze.

The memory peeked out from the depths of his brain again and his thoughts went wild in its pursuit.

Come on, I know you're in there.

The boy in black continued to look upon him with his shining eyes.

Almost like he knew his presence sparked a memory for her. Like he was waiting for him to remember.

Like he was…challenging him.

Yugi took a step forward. Maybe he would just walk over to him. Maybe he would introduce himself to him and see if he knew anything about him.

He took a few more steps. Maybe if he got close enough to see his face clearly—

"Leaving so soon?" This time, the voice was male and came from behind him.

Yugi paused.

The voice at his back was familiar.

Beautifully, impossibly familiar. Reminiscent.

Almost perfect.

It wasn't the voice of someone he'd met since waking up in Domino.

It was a voice of the past. A voice he knew.

What is going on tonight? Why does everything suddenly seem so familiar?

Yugi let his gaze linger on the boy in black for a moment before turning around to see the keeper of the familiar voice, fully expecting a surge of memories to rush to his head.

But no.

There was no flash of memory, no sudden burst of enlightenment.

There was no instant recognition or flood of relief.

There was, however, a really gorgeous guy standing in front of him. Possibly the most attractive person he'd ever seen.

Wearing a red shirt and a disarming smile, he looked to be a little older than Yugi. His tri-colored hair almost identical to his own, except for blond lightning streaks flying back into the black, and deep crimson eyes complimented the tan skin that wrapped around his frame flawlessly.

He was smiling at him. Waiting.

He blinked a few times. "What?"

His smile deepened, as he took a step toward him. "You looked like you were about to leave."

Yugi looked over to where the boy in black had been but, once again, he'd disappeared. "Oh." He shook his head, bringing himself back to the conversation. "No, I…I wasn't leaving."

"Well, in that case," the beautiful boy said, holding out his hand, "I'm Atemu. Kissing Festival virgin and reality TV fan. I like long walks on the beach and hate waking up before noon."

Yugi smiled, both grateful and disappointed he chose to greet him with a handshake instead of a kiss—what is wrong with me? He took his hand. "I'm Yugi. Kissing Festival protester and avid coffee-drinker. I like to draw and I'm not a morning person either."

"I like you already," Atemu said as they shook hands.

His hand felt cool and dry in the warmth of the summer night and he flashed a smile at him.

Yugi tucked his lips in and pressed down, suddenly rethinking the baggy white shirt.

They ended their handshake and Atemu shoved his hands into the front pockets of his perfectly-fitting jeans.

"So, you're not a fan of the festival?" he asked with a sparkle in his eyes. "Too many girls to fend off?"

"Uh, no. It's not the 'girls' or the guys for that matter that I'm worried about. It's the whole town. Everyone is so..," Yugi tried to think of a nicer word than "wacky".

Atemu prompted, "Happy? In love? Giddy?"

"Yes. It's so weird," Yugi said. "I came last year, and vowed never to return again. But my best friend shamelessly begged me to come and I totally caved. And now I'm surrounded by," Yugi gestured to the crowd in the park, "all these love-sick goobers."

Atemu laughed. "Yeah, I hate love-sick goobers. They're so happy and annoying and pleasant…always trying to be nice and friendly." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "It's so irritating."

Yugi smiled. "Shut up."

"So, why did you vow never to return? Was it the dentist guy? Because that's totally understandable."

Yugi laughed. "You saw him too? He's creepy, right?" He smiled to himself. Something about talking to this guy made him feel lighthearted. Refreshed.

"Totally." Atemu gave a fake shudder, making him laugh.

Yugi answered, "No, actually, I didn't want to come back because last year I watched the kissing relay games and nearly threw up. That's why I tried my very hardest to stay at home tonight."

"And when you say your 'very hardest', you're referring to your complete lack of resolve when caving to your best friend, correct?"

Yugi nodded. "Precisely."

Atemu laughed. "I like you Yugi…?" he prompted for his last name.

"Motou." Although he was a complete stranger, Atemu made him feel safe and, for some reason, Yugi instinctively trusted him.

Which was probably dumb.

But he couldn't help himself. Something about him made him feel…normal.

And so help him, Yugi wanted to feel normal.

"Yugi Motou," he said, thinking it over. "I like it."

"And yours is…?" he asked.

Atemu smiled slowly, waiting a beat as if deciding how to answer. "Sennen," he said, eyeing him closely. "Atemu Sennen."

Yugi tilted his head to the side, wishing the name meant something to him in the same way his musical voice had.

But no.

"So," he said, looking around with mock seriousness. "Where's this conniving best friend of yours? I'd like to congratulate him on suckering you into attending this absurd festival of love and happiness."

Yugi smiled as he pointed to where Joey stood in line at one of the many kissing booths.

"Ah," he said, nodding. "He looks like a love-sick goober. He looks happy."

Yugi smiled.

Joey was happy. Happy and bubbly and excited about everything.

He was nothing like Yugi.

Joey was loud, outgoing, and smooth with the girls.

While Yugi was quiet, sarcastic, not interested girls, and was too nervous to even try flirting with anyone.

But their friendship worked.

As different as they were, Yugi felt more bonded to Joey than anyone else he'd met since waking up in Domino.

Because Joey accepted Yugi. Amnesia and all.

They'd met two summers ago at the mall, a few weeks before sophomore year began. Mai had taken Yugi to buy a new wardrobe—since Yugi's slumber party in the woods hadn't exactly come with a closet full of clothes—and had left Yugi in charge of picking out his own attire. Instead he snuck out of the store and found himself in a game store selling many different types of games.

Shopping nearby, Joey had seen Yugi eyeing a rather lame board game and had immediately interjected himself into Yugi's life as his personal game shopper by guiding him quite forcefully over to the rack holding packets of Duel Monsters cards.

Soon after they became close friends.

When Yugi first told Joey about his amnesia, Joey had freaked out.

Not in the expected O-M-G-you're-a-weirdo kind of way, but in an O-M-G-this-sounds-like-a-movie way.

He spent months talking nonstop about finding Yugi's parents, starting a 'Who is Yugi Motou' fund, and doing DNA testing to see if Yugi was from a different planet.

It was obnoxious.

Sweet, in an overbearing, obsessive-friend way, but obnoxious.

Joey thought it was "cool" Yugi didn't have a past. He was convinced Yugi had been a government spy who'd had his memory erased in order to ensure the safety of the world.

Because Joey was a drama queen.

But it was easier for Yugi to play along with Joey's ridiculous government theory than it had been to wallow in self-pity. Joey had been a welcome distraction.

In a way, he'd saved Yugi's life. Or at least, his emotional well-being. He'd given Yugi something to laugh about and a friendship to believe in.

He'd given Yugi hope.

He was bright and sunny and full of positivity. Sometimes it was annoying, but most of the time, Yugi needed it. He valued Joey's role in his life and respected him a great deal.

Even though, at that very moment, Joey was paying to kiss a girl.

"Yeah," Yugi continued, as he watched Joey pop more breath mints at the kissing booth. "He is definitely happy."

A moment of silence hung between Atemu and Yugi. He shuffled his feet, unsure of how to continue their conversation. "So, this is your first Kissing Festival?"

Atemu ran a hand through his spiky hair. "Yeah."

"What do you think?" Yugi smiled and raised a brow.

"Honestly?" He gave a crooked smile and shrugged. "I think it's…charming."

"Charming?"

Not the word Yugi would have chosen.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's…I don't know…nice. Everyone being friendly and positive. People dancing and laughing. It's…refreshing. Sometimes the world is a cold place but this…this is nice. It's warmhearted." He smiled as he looked about the park.

Yugi wrinkled his brow. "I guess so…." Up until that moment, Yugi hadn't seen any upside to a town full of affectionate neighbors. He'd only seen a city of people using an old war tradition as an excuse to make out with the hot checkout girl from the grocery store. But come to think of it….

Yugi looked around at some of the happy couples nearby; whispering in each other's ears, playfully kissing beneath paper stars, sharing lip-shaped popsicles. The bright twinkle lights glowed above the dancers while love songs floated into the air….

It was kinda sweet.

"I guess, you're right. It's sorta…pleasant. All the love and flirting." Yugi looked around again and spied an elderly couple feeding each other chocolate candies.

He leaned to the right, accidently brushing arms with Atemu, and his insides sparked at his touch. Yugi blushed and immediately repositioned himself so there was space between them.

They watched the park crowd without speaking as he waited for the heat that had flooded his face to subside.

Atemu cleared his throat.

"Free Lover's Lemonade!" A woman wearing a pink sundress walked past them carrying a tray of pink lemonade.

She handed each of them a cup and moved on.

Atemu looked at the cup, and then gave Yugi another crooked smile. "Wanna walk around with me?"

Yugi hesitated.

His eyes looked playful. "I promise to protect you from the sidewalk dentist."

Yugi tucked his lips in, trying not to smile.

Was he totally crushing on a complete stranger?

Yes, he was.

"Sure," he said.

For a minute, they strolled in silence, crossing the grassy park while observing the dancers and merchants and kissers. Yugi took a sip of his lemonade and welcomed the ice-cold liquid sliding down his throat.

"So, tell me about yourself, Yugi." Atemu said. "I mean, I already know about your love for coffee and sleeping in—which makes you awesome, by the way—but what else?"

He inhaled deeply, thinking of where to start.

Well, two years ago I was abandoned in a forest outside of town and then taken into custody by this pretty woman named Mai, who gave me a home so I could have a normal life and go to high school. Oh, and, I have amnesia. You know. Same ol', same ol'.

Yeah, probably not the best way to keep Atemu around. Instead, Yugi decided to go with the random-facts-about-yourself answer.

"Well…I read Egyptian," he said.

One of the few perks of having amnesia was that, every once in a while, Yugi would uncover a hidden talent.

Like Egyptian.

He'd discovered his mastery of the language last year.

"That's cool," he said, sucking down his drink.

"Also," Yugi took another sip of his drink. "I'll be a senior at Domino High this year. And I love ice cream. What about you? Who is Atemu Sennen?"

He laughed. "Well, that could take me all night to explain. The short answer? I just moved here from Egypt. I'm a fan of this pink lemonade," he took a sip, "and I don't like snakes."

Yugi nodded.

"But I do like this festival."

Yugi nodded. "Right, because of all the love and positivity and goobers."

He smiled. "Among other things."

Yugi smiled and kept his eyes on his decorated shoes as they strolled along.

Their walk slowed to a standstill and, suddenly, Yugi was very aware of how close they stood to one another. He looked up and saw paper stars dangling from the tree above.

Something akin to panic shot through Yugi.

Why did Domino have to have so many trees?

Paper stars were everywhere.

His heart began to race at the thought of Atemu kissing him. Half of him wanted him to, but the other half—the sane, logical, you-don't-like-to-kiss-strangers half—wanted to flee from the park and burn down every tree in Domino.

What was wrong with him?

He was so confused by his own heart. It was pounding in panic at the thought of kissing a guy he'd just met and hammering in delight at the thought of kissing the beautiful boy in front of him.

He was no better than any of the other kiss-crazy townspeople.

His eyes fell from the stars down to Atemu's mouth and quickly back up to his eyes.

Atemu noticed the stars and tilted his head. "Do you think it's weird to kiss someone you barely know?"

No, it's perfectly normal and gives us a fantastic excuse to make out. Kiss me!

"Totally weird," he said, immediately wanting to slap himself.

He nodded slowly. "Me, too."

Yugi's heart sank a little.

Atemu flashed a smirk. "I guess now I've got a good reason to get to know you, don't I?"

Yugi narrowed his eyes. "Who said I'd let you kiss me even if you got to know me?"

He nodded his head with a smile. "Challenge accepted."

"I'm baaaaack!" Joey rushed up to Yugi, completely unaware of Atemu. "I came, I kissed, I conquered. Now, let's go find you a hot guy with a tasty mouth." Joey reached for Yugi's arm, caught sight of Atemu, and froze.

Her mouth hung open for a moment as he took him in. "Or…." He looked Atemu up and down shamelessly. "We could just stay here and talk to this lovely gentleman."

Joey whipped his head around and shot Yugi an O-M-G-who-is-this-guy? look.

Yugi cleared his throat. "Joey, this is Atemu. Atemu, Joey."

Joey put on his best smile and turned to Atemu and held his hand out to shake. "Why, hello Atemu. It's nice to meet you."

Smirk showing, Atemu took his hand and said, "You too, Joey."

"Are you new to Domino? I've lived here all my life and I don't think I've ever seen you before. I'm pretty sure I'd remember." At the same time Joey seemed to be holding Atemu's hand in a death grip in a warning. He loves to do that to any guy that comes around me. Joey tends to get overly protective.

Yugi rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'm new to town." Atemu smiled politely, his crimson eyes glancing at Yugi. Soon a slight grimace could be seen on Joey's face as Atemu returned the favor.

"Well, then, welcome to Domino. And welcome to the Kissing Festival." Joey took his hand back and started shaking it when he thought no one was looking.

"Thank you," Atemu said smirk getting bigger in amusment.

"Would you like to join us as we go watch the kissing relays?" Joey said, rubbing his hands together like sweating people kissing in between sprints wasn't disgusting.

Atemu hesitated.

"You should come," Yugi said. "I might throw up. It'll be fun." Something about Atemu was…nice. He wanted him to stick around and continue using his lovely voice.

He smiled. "As much as I would love to watch you vomit, I can't. I have to go."

Yugi nodded his head and tried to keep his smile in place, not showing his disappointment.

Joey said, "Will you be here tomorrow night?"

"Uh…." Atemu looked at Yugi, blinked for a moment and said, "Yes. Yes, I will."

"Fantastic! We will see you tomorrow then." Joey said.

"It was nice to meet you, Joey," Atemu said. He looked at Yugi a moment, and showed his devilish smirk. "Goodbye, Yugi Motou."

"Goodbye," he said, as casually as possible, even though he wanted to shout, Don't leave! You make me feel normal!

Atemu smiled one last time before disappearing into the crowd of kissers.

Not two seconds passed before Joey turned to Yugi with his mouth hanging open. "O-M-G, Yugi. W-T-H?"

Joey actually spoke in text language. It took Yugi a long time to get used to this—mostly because Yugi had to learn text lingo in order to decipher conversations with Joey.

Sure, Yugi wakes up in the woods with a complete understanding of the Egyptian language…but 'LOL'? Nothing.

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, sucking down the remainder of her pink lemonade with a sigh. Atemu was gone and so was the feeling of normalcy Yugi had briefly enjoyed.

"Um…hello? Hot guy chattin' you up at the Kissing Festival? Where did you find him?"

"Find him? He's not a cereal toy, Joey."

"No—but ooh! How awesome would that be? You open a box of Trix and wham! Out pops a hot girl! I would so eat more cereal. He's gorgeous. I mean, like, Greek-god-gorgeous. How did you meet him?"

"He just came up and started talking to me while I was waiting for you to finish at the kissing booths. How'd that go, by the way?"

"Worth every penny." Joey flicked his hair. "Tell me more about this Atemu."

They walked together past a breath mint stand. "His name is Atemu Sennen. He's from Egypt. And he doesn't like snakes."

Joey raised his eyebrows and waited for more. "That's it? That's all you got?"

"Well, pretty much. It wasn't an interrogation. We just…talked."

"Did you kiss?"

"No," Yugi said.

"Lame."

Yugi sighed. "I know."

"Tomorrow," Joey said. "Tomorrow, I will make sure you two kiss. And I will also be in charge of your outfit. You, clearly, cannot be trusted to dress yourself."

Yugi looked down at his white top and innocently said, "What? You don't like my white shirt?"

"It's not a shirt, it's a curtain. You look like a bad set of drapes from the 70s. But, no worries! Tomorrow, I will make sure you look sexy. Now," Joey began with a crooked smile, "let's go watch grown-ups run laps and pass the baton of saliva."

Wonderful.

Let the retching begin.

Yugi mocked a gag, but followed his friend through the crowd anyway.

Something about meeting Atemu had put Yugi in a better mood. He almost didn't hate the festival anymore.

Almost.

Just as they left the grassy park, Yugi caught sight of his mystery boy-in-black. He was farther away this time but he could tell he was still looking at him. His gaze was more intense than before and Yugi's heart started to pound.

His mind sparked at the promise of a memory again.

He slowed his steps to eye him more clearly, but a group of people passed in front of him, blocking his view.

When the crowd cleared he was nowhere to be found.

Yugi stretched his gaze across the park as far as he could but found nothing. He'd been there one moment and was gone the next.

Just like the memory.

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**I'd love to hear your reviews for this story so please don't be shy!**


	3. Chapter Two

**So... I'm finally back. I know it's been a while, but I plan to make it worth your while with a double update. I've been at band camp for the past week having a ton of fun and now I am very exhausted. I just finished with the performance this afternoon. And yes I play the flute, and no it's not like American Pie so don't ask.**

**Anyway, I've had people ask when Yami's going to meet Yugi. He wont meet Yami for a little while, but Yami does appear in this chapter. Enjoy the chapter. :)**

* * *

Familiar pain gradually reentered Yami's veins as he drove away from the festival.

Away from Yugi.

He tugged on the collar of his black shirt, adjusting to the chronic ache he suffered without him.

Tonight had been an accident; seeing Yugi . . . feeling him so close to him. Had he known he'd be at the festival, he never would have gone.

He'd almost gotten used to the grief that wracked his body in his absence; almost learned to live with it. But tonight had undone any hope he had of peace without him.

Yami rubbed the back of his neck as his green eyes stared at the dark Georgia road ahead of him.

Long ago, he'd been cursed with a fever of desperation.

Nonstop, unrelenting desperation.

Bursting from his heart two years ago, it had taken him by the soul and wrung his insides dry with need.

A need so impossible, so all-consuming, he could not deny it.

And he could not silence it.

The sound of his soul, crying out for Yugi, was deafening.

Two years ago, the summons had started as a murmur; soft, faint and gentle.

But over time it grew into a scream; bleating out in need and resonating in his chest without reprieve.

It was the sound of Yugi's heart, alive and awake, beating steadily inside her chest, and echoing in his.

Haunting him.

Like a call. A ruthless demand to find him—to be with him.

He'd tried to ignore the supernatural pull. He'd tried to pretend his soul wasn't screaming in separation.

But it was.

He'd resisted the siren for years. And it nearly drove him mad.

Yugi's heart calling to him, begging him.

Like it always did

And he had broken down and answered.

Like he always did.

He had come to Domino. Close enough to ease the fever. Close enough to quiet his screaming heart.

But distant enough to maintain his sanity.

Until tonight.

His accidental nearness to Yugi tonight at the festival had eased his torment, but filled him with a longing he couldn't indulge.

He needed to stay away.

Far away.

Yami drove into the thick woods outside Domino and made his way to the large cabin he shared with his brother.

After seeing Atemu talking to Yugi tonight, Yami was furious.

He turned his car down the cabin's driveway and parked.

Cursing under his breath, he exited the car and made his way inside.

The cabin sat upon twenty acres of forestland and had a main floor, a basement, and an upstairs. The main floor held the kitchen, a living room, the den, and an office. The upstairs and basement were identical in layout; each with a sitting room, master suite, and a spare bedroom.

The upstairs belonged to Atemu and the basement belonged to Yami.

They didn't like living together, but it was necessary.

For now.

Yami stretched his neck.

Now that he was miles away from Yugi, Tristan's physical pain intensified; a constant reminder that he was, and would always be, without him.

After slamming the front door behind him, Yami found his brother in the living room. "What were you thinking?"

Atemu, who'd been searching for the remote control under the couch cushions, looked up at his brother. "What are you talking about?"

"You talked to Yugi tonight? Are you kidding me?" Yami tried to calm himself down, but he was too racked with anxiety to lower his voice.

"What, are you spying on me now?" Atemu went back to his hunt. "That's creepy."

"You messed up the plan, Ate." Yami bored his dark purple eyes into his brother. "You agreed not to meet him until the curse was broken. Is the curse broken? No." He started pacing the living room, fear and nervousness coiling inside him.

It was happening again.

The pain…the brokenness…the death….

This was the beginning of the end.

Atemu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well. I didn't feel like waiting around another few years while you tried to break the curse. Your plan—which is totally evil, by the way—isn't working."

"My plan isn't evil. It's necessary. And it will work."

Giving up his search for the control, Atemu stood. "Your plan is completely evil. You're trying to murder someone."

Yami stopped pacing. "I'm trying to save Yugi's life. It's the only option we have."

"No. There's another way."

Yami rolled his eyes. "We don't have time to chase after a legend, Ate. Because of the curse, Yugi is going to die." He swallowed, tempering the emotion that coated his voice. "My plan is the only way to save him."

Atemu threw his hands in the air. "Your plan is murder!"

"It's not like I'm butchering an innocent lamb."

"Well, how would I know that?" Atemu shrugged. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming with your victim's identity. For all I know, you're out hunting a sweet, little old lady."

Yami rolled his eyes again and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'm not killing little old ladies."

"It's slaughter."

"It's not slaughter. I'm simply taking a life so Yugi can keeps his."

Out loud, it did sound kinda bad.

But Yami would do anything to save Yugi.

Anything.

"Yeah, well…that doesn't make it any less wrong." Atemu went back to searching for the control as silence fell between them.

Yami exhaled and uncrossed his arms.

He needed more time to execute his plan. He needed more time to break the curse.

And he needed Atem to stay away from Yugi.

Yami rubbed the back of his neck. "You were reckless tonight, Ate. Yugi could have remembered who you were. He could have remembered who I was."

Atemu shrugged. "He didn't."

"But he will." Yami's heart started pounding in fear. If Yugi remembered him…if he came looking for him….

No. He couldn't let that happen.

"You can't see him again." Yami said, hoping Atemu would comply.

He didn't.

"Yeah, right." Atemu found the control and set it on an end table. "I've waited two years to 'meet' Yugi. I'm not going to disappear from his life now."

Yami took a deep breath. "Please?"

Was that what he'd been reduced to? Begging? Was he that afraid Yugi would remember him?

The clock on the wall beat into the silence.

Tick…tick…tick….

Yes. He was that scared.

"No," Atemu said, shaking his head. "I need him, Yami."

"So do I, Ate. But you don't see me running after him."

"But I…love him," Atemu said, turning his palms up helplessly.

Yami exhaled sharply.

He didn't want to believe that Atemu loved Yugi. He'd rather believe what Atemu felt for Yugi was just a little crush.

But he knew better.

Which only made his torment more acute.

Yami shook his head. "If you stay in his life he'll remember everything."

"So, what?"

"So what? Ate! Yugi can't ever know about me—or meet me. It's too risky."

Atemu rolled his eyes. "He's not going to meet you. Stop being so dramatic. And quit following me around town. That's weird."

"I wasn't following you," Yami said. "I was meeting a client at the festival and I happened to see you."

Atemu raised his eyebrows. "A 'client'? Don't you mean hit man?"

Yami didn't answer.

He knew Atemu didn't approve of his methods, but he didn't have time to look for less-gruesome ways to break the curse.

Yugi was going to die.

He had to hurry.

"What's the matter?" Atem waved his hands sarcastically. "Big, mean Yami can't commit murder all by himself?" Atemu shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "You're evil."

Yami looked at the ceiling in frustration and started pacing the room again. "I understand you have a moral dilemma with my plan, but don't act so righteous." He looked at Atemu. "I'm just doing what you're not brave enough to do yourself."

Atemu made a face of disgust. "Murder doesn't make you brave, Yami. It makes you desperate."

Yami squared his jaw. "I am desperate."

Desperate to be free of the torment that tore at his soul day after day, begging for Yugi.

Desperate for peace.

Atemu shook his head. "You're desperate and you're heartless."

Yami laughed softly, his heart kicking at the irony of Atemu's words. "Don't. I. Wish."

Maybe if Yami didn't have a heart, the pain and longing that plagued him wouldn't be quite as unbearable. Maybe if he didn't have a heart, he could get some sleep at night.

But Yami had a heart, and it was currently throbbing in pain.

Because Yugi was far away.

Atemu shook his head. "Whatever. Go ahead and carry-out your wicked plan. But don't expect me to support you."

Yami twisted his lips. "I never would."

"And don't expect me to back out of Yugi's life. I've waited long enough."

Yami stopped pacing and folded his arms. "What are you going to do, then? Just lie to him?"

"I don't know. But I'll figure it out. Tell your evil heart to relax."

Yami flexed a muscle in his jaw.

Atemu knew nothing about Yami's heart, evil or otherwise. It was the best—and worst—part of their relationship.

Yami shook his head. "Whatever you do, just don't let him know you have a brother. I don't want to meet him."

Atemu shrugged. "Fine." He clicked on the TV and sat down.

Yami turned and headed for the kitchen.

Atemu would get to see Yugi. Talk to him. Love him….

It would happen. Yami couldn't stop it.

And, if he really cared about Yugi, he shouldn't stop it.

But that didn't make the thought of them together any less gut-wrenching.

Yami stared blankly at the floor as a piece of his heart broke.

His very real, very existent heart.

And so it begins.

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**So have I made you thoroughly confused yet? Love to hear what you have to say in the reviews!**


	4. Chapter Three

Late Saturday afternoon, Yugi stood in his boxers making a face at himself in his bedroom mirror, while Joey rummaged around in Yugi's closet. Joey had demanded Yugi "not move" until he found the perfect outfit.

But that was ten minutes ago.

"You know it's a Kissing Festival, not a Naked Festival, right? I'm gonna have to wear clothes, Joey." Despite the summer sun setting through his bedroom window, Yugi shivered.

Joey's voice came muffled from behind the many clothes Mai had bought Yugi when she first took custody of him. "Keep your pants on! I'm trying to create a masterpiece here!"

"I would be more than happy to keep my pants on but, oh, that's right, I don't have any pants on."

Joey's perfectly styled shaggy mess of hair poked out from Yugi's walk-in closet. "Do you want to look sexy, or do you want to look like curtains?"

"I want to be warm. At least throw me a bathrobe, or a parka, or a mink coat or something."

"Bud, I would not be surprised if I found a mink coat in here. Shoot, I wouldn't be surprised if I found a whole mink in here." A moment of silence passed as Joey looked within the depths of Yugi's ridiculously over-sized closet. He poked his face out again. "What is a mink, anyway? Is it, like, a woodland creature or something?"

Yugi shot Joey an impatient look. "I have no idea, but I bet a mink could pick out an outfit faster than you."

Joey disappeared into the sea of clothes again and muttered, "I doubt it. You have a ton of clothes."

"Maybe you'd have more if you didn't spend all your money on dual monsters."

Yugi shivered again and decided to charge into his wardrobe and find his own attire. He padded over to the double-doors of his closet and, literally, ran into Joey.

"Hey-hey! Get back to your mirror." Joey had his hands full of shirts and pants and belts.

"These," Joey handed Yugi a pair of black jean shorts and a soft, faded, purple t-shirt, "are for you. I chose purple to match your eyes. You have killer eyes. Okay, the look we're going for tonight is Cute And Casual."

Yugi smiled. "Excellent. You can go home, I know how to do Cute And Casual."

"No." Joey shook his head. "No, you don't. You think you can do Cute And Casual…but I've seen you try it and it just comes out looking…." Joey tapped his chin with a shiny fingernail. "Lazy."

Yugi huffed. "I am not a lazy dresser. Yesterday, I spent ten minutes picking out my outfit."

"Yesterday you wore the baggy shirt."

Yugi puckered his lips. "Good point."

Joey rolled his eyes. "That is why I should be here every time you get dressed. I'm talking, first thing in the morning, seven days a week. Even if you're not going anywhere that day, I should still supervise your outfit choices."

Yugi laughed as he climbed into his comfortable shorts and pulled the cozy shirt on. "Okay, you do that."

Joey bustled about 's room, setting up a vanity area to do makeup. "Hurry up. We have twenty minutes to make you stunning for the Egyptian god."

"Please. Atemu probably won't be there."

But, oh, how he hoped he would be. He wanted to hear his voice again.

"Well, then, I'm going to sexy you up for any other Egyptian gods that might strike up a convo with you while I'm off kissing girls. Now hurry."

"So," Joey watched as Yugi pulled out a brush to fix his hair, "lover boy didn't give you any details about his life last night. Therefore, our objective tonight is to find out who he is."

Yugi took his time setting his hair back to where it rested in its star shaped place.

Joey continued, "You know, get to know the real Atemu—what did you say his last name was?"

"Sennen."

"Atemu Sennen?" Joey rolled his eyes. "Geez, even his name is hot."

"If Atemu Sennen shows up at the Kissing Festival tonight, I've got a whole list of questions for him. Starting with: does he have a sister?"

Yugi rolled his eyes. "You are so girl crazy."

"And proud of it!" Joey finished. Yugi looked at himself in the mirror.

Yugi shook his head. "Whatever, let's just go."

The boys headed to the town center just as night fell.

* * *

**Things are kind of slow in this chapter but they will pick up. Anyway, love to hear your review.**


	5. Chapter Four

The second night of the festival, Atemu stood at the edge of the park watching Yugi and Joey approach the Kiss Walk. The Kiss Walk was basically a giant game of musical chairs, but without the chairs. Like a Cake Walk. But instead of a cake, the winner received free kisses at the kissing booths.

Awesome.

Although the people of Domino were friendly and sincere, Atemu wasn't particularly crazy about the town itself. It was a simple place, quaint and quiet, with low crime rates and high turnouts for community events—obviously—but it was small.

Atemu preferred his cities big, loud, and bright. Not because he had an appetite for chaos, but because he'd been around the world, and slow-paced life just wasn't his thing.

Yugi Motou, however, was his thing.

Thanks to the endless crowd of people passing before him, Atemu was able to watch the boys at the Kiss Walk for a minute without being spotted.

Joey, looking like a gang banger bad boy that girls seemed to run after these days, seemed eager to play; while Yugi folded his arms and stood off to the side.

Typical Yugi. So stubborn.

With a smile, Atemu inhaled and examined him. Even after all these years, he still took his breath away.

Was he a hopeless romantic?

Maybe.

But he didn't care.

He let his mind wander to a time long ago, when he was constantly surrounded by his laughter and playfulness. A time when he would tease him and run his hands through his hair.

A better time than now.

Yugi and Yami were affected by the curse, but the curse itself was directed at Atemu. He was cursed to be without love.

He could never love or be loved by anyone other than Yugi. Which wouldn't be so bad—if he wasn't doomed to die. In fact, loving Yugi for the rest of his life sounded like heaven.

If only he could keep him alive….

The curse needed to be broken.

Soon.

Would Yami's plan work?

Probably not.

But was Atemu going to stand in Yami's way?

No.

Because, deep down, Atemu was grateful for Yami's lack of humanity. If killing someone in Yugi's place really could undo the curse, then Atemu was glad Yami had no qualms about taking an innocent life.

Atemu, however, did have qualms.

So, no killing sprees for him.

He watched Yugi bite his lip as he looked about the park. He was amazing.

Flawed and soulful and…lovely.

Everything about him was fragile and perfect.

He stepped into Yugi's line of sight and waited for him to see him. When his eyes found his, he smiled.

He was beautiful.

He smiled as he approached him. "Hey."

"Hey." His violet eyes sparkled. "I'm glad you came."

"Me, too."

He looked over to where Joey was arguing with a Kiss Walk judge. "What's going on over there?"

"They won't let Joey play because the game already started. He's trying to sweet-talk his way in."

"Huh."

Joey trotted back over to where they stood. "Well!" he said, huffing and puffing. "That was pointless. No free kisses for me, I guess."

"What are you talking about?" Yugi raised an eyebrow. "People are handing out free kisses everywhere. Just go kiss some stranger."

"I'm over kissing strangers. I want to kiss the hot girls at the kissing booths." Joey looked at Atemu and put on a brilliant smile. "Hello Atemu. So nice to see you again."

"Ooh!" Joey's eyes lit up. "Kiss Cakes!"

Atemu followed his gaze and spied a white tent with red stars hanging from the top.

"Kiss Cakes?" he repeated, looking at Yugi.

"Yeah, they're like cupcakes, but shaped like lips."

"And waaaay better," Joey said. "Let's get some."

Atemu followed the boys to the tent and snuck a glance at Yugi. He was so small and delicate. He wanted to wrap him in his arms.

If only he remembered him. If only he would instantly remember everything. Maybe then he would smile and laugh and they could live happily ever after or whatever.

Maybe if he told him the truth….

Atemu thought about explaining Yugi's history to him. Giving him all the bloody details and trying to put a positive spin on the whole curse thing.

No.

He would rather let him live a day longer without being under the umbrella of impending death. The curse was cruel and unfair, and Atemu wanted to protect him from his fate for as long as possible.

They reached the tent and he snagged each of them a Kiss Cake.

"So, Atemu," Joey began as he passed out the cakes. "Yugi says you're from Egypt. Which part?"

He took a bite of his Kiss Cake and examined the blond as he swallowed his bite. "Cairo."

"What's the city like?" Yugi asked very interested.

Atemu smiled. "It's loud. Nonstop craziness and noise. But it's full of opportunities and interesting people. There's always something going on, never a dull moment."

Joey sighed. "That sounds heavenly."

Yugi scrunched his adorable nose. "That sounds like a headache."

Atemu laughed. Yugi had never liked big cities. He'd always preferred quiet places where time moved slowly.

Places like Domino.

"Yeah," he said, smiling at Yugi. "Cairo isn't for everyone."

"So, why did you move here?" Joey took a bite of his cake.

Atemu took a moment to think. He needed a plausible excuse to be in Domino, something to hold him over until the curse was broken and he could tell Yugi the truth.

"Family business." It was a good answer. A safe answer.

"Really? What kind of business is your family in?" Yugi watched him over the frosting of his Kiss Cake.

"History." He nodded, hoping his answer was sufficient.

"What kind of history?"

Not sufficient enough.

"Just, you know, general history." He really should have thought through his back-story before coming tonight. He didn't want to sound like an idiot.

Joey raised his brows. "Your family is in the business of general history? Wow. That's…vague." He pursed his lips and looked at him sharply. "Care to elaborate?"

Atemu had a feeling Joey was going to be a problem.

"Ignore Joey. He's nosey." Yugi rolled his eyes before turning them to Atemu. "Was it hard to leave Egypt?"

"A little. I love the city and the lights and the craziness. But I was excited to move here. It's getting better."

"So, you're not gonna elaborate on the family business?" Joey narrowed his eyes. "Is it, like, import and export stuff? Are you guys drug dealers? Are you part of the mob?"

Yep, Blondie was definitely going to be an issue.

"Joeyyyyy." Yugi shot a warning look at his friend. "Rude."

"Uh, no," Atemu said. "To all of that. We don't do anything illegal, if that's what you're asking."

At least not yet.

Yami was planning on murdering someone, though, so the crime-free family name would soon be tarnished.

Stupid, evil Yami and his "plan."

"Huh." Joey stared at him, as if trying to gauge how trustworthy he was. "Well, I certainly hope not. For your sake."

Atemu smiled.

Joey was a little annoying, but he liked him.

His questions were obnoxious and he was probably going to make it difficult for him to get to know Yugi, but he appreciated his skepticism.

He was quick. And protective of Yugi.

Good.

"Okay, I think we're done interrogating the new guy," Yugi said, tossing a dirty look at Joey and an apologetic smile at Atemu.

Joey smiled. "Right. Totally. Sorry about that." He laughed lightly. "One last question, though…." His smiled deepened. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Why?" Immediately, Atemu regretted responding so fast.

He should have waited a beat.

He should have just said no.

Yugi's eyes widened as he kicked Joey's shoe. "Seriously?"

Joey ignored Yugi and answered Atemu. "Uh…because I'm in the market for a gorgeous girl to be my cereal toy. So...do you?"

Cereal toy?

Atemu blinked a few times. "No," he said. "No sisters."

Joey studied him a moment before saying, "That's too bad."

"Ye-ah." Yugi said, finishing his Kiss Cake and saving Atemu from Joey's scrutiny. "Let's go do something else. Like, anything else. We can watch the Spin-The-Bottle tournament, for all I care. Let's just go." He yanked on Joey's arm. "It'll be fun. You too, Atemu." He smiled at him.

He loved his smile. "Lead the way."

Atemu followed Yugi and Joey across the park to an open area as he thought.

He needed to gain Yugi's confidence. The sooner he trusted him, the easier everything would be.

Glancing down at their feet as they walked, Atemu caught sight of Yugi's shoes. Or rather, the sketches he'd penned atop his shoes.

Sketches of a symbol that looked exactly like….

Atemu blinked.

It couldn't be.

Why? Of all the things in his past, why would he remember that?

Unless….

Atemu swallowed back his thudding heart and took a deep breath.

Now was not the time to worry about Yugi's selective memory. Right now, he'd worry about getting Yugi to like him.

He took a deep breath as they came to a grassy spot where a Spin-The-Bottle tournament—set up like a poker tournament—was going strong.

Yugi raised his eyebrows. "Personally, I find it disturbing to watch senior citizens bet on who the best kisser at the table is."

Atemu watched the game for a moment with a crooked smile. "What, you don't find it fascinating and sexy?"

Yugi laughed. "I find it as sexy as the sidewalk dentist."

Atemu laughed back. Oh, how he'd missed him.

As the game continued, the feisty contestants became more and more entertaining. Who needed reality TV when you could go downtown and watch two little old ladies box one another over a WWII veteran named Jimmy?

Classic.

When the game ended, the three of them walked together along Main Street. Stars dangled from trees and people kissed in greeting all along the road as music played loudly from the nearby bandstand.

Joey chatted endlessly about summer coming to a close and how school would soon begin and how very "lame" that was and blah, blah, blah.

Atemu had just started tuning him out when he said, "So, Atemu Sennen," his voice rose to adjust to the volume of the music, "how old are you?"

More questions. Awesome.

"Seventeen," he answered.

"Really?" Joey raised an eyebrow at him. "You look older than that."

Atemu bit back a sigh.

Hanging out with Joey was definitely going to be a problem. He was too inquisitive. And while he appreciated that he interrogated people who entered Yugi's life, he couldn't afford to be one of them.

"I get that a lot." He gave him his best smile and turned to Yugi. "You've been pretty quiet."

Yugi's blond bangs brushed against his small face as he tucked in a smile, "Have I? I guess it's just been so noisy."

It was then that Atemu impulsively decided to ask him out.

It was risky. There was a possibility he'd say no.

Which would suck.

But Atemu had waited a long time to be back in Yugi's life and he didn't want to live one more minute without him.

Play it cool, don't scare him off.

"Well." Atemu swallowed and tried to look as carefree as possible. "Maybe you and I could hang out sometime…someplace less noisy." He shot him his most genuine smile and held his breath. "You know, just the two of us."

Immediately, Atemu regretted his bold decision.

It was weird.

He didn't remember him. He didn't know him.

He was probably going to say no and then where would he be?

Cursed to be without love, that's where.

Bad idea, Ate.

Slowly—so slowly Atemu thought he might suffocate—Yugi answered with a smile. "Yeah. That'd be nice."

Relief rushed through him. "Tomorrow night, then?"

Yugi looked at him with his pretty eyes and smiled. "Sure."

He smiled.

Things were going to be different this time.

Better. Wonderful.

All he had to do now was find a way to keep Yugi alive.


	6. Chapter Five

**So, here's another update. I'm pretty sure I have you all thoroughly confused (hehe), but sometime in the near future it will make sense. I'd like to thank all my reviewers, guest and user, alike. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh. If I did I wouldn't be on Fanfiction writing about it, everyone would see it.**

* * *

Yami's dark purple eyes examined his most recent acquisition in the soft light of the den. He turned the ancient blade over in his hand, the ornate handle weighing heavy in his palm. The long blade glinted in the lamp light of the room as he continued to turn it over.

He'd spent years searching for this dagger. A dagger believed to have magical energy.

Or mystic powers.

Or voodoo or something.

Yami wasn't sure. But he didn't care what kind of powers the blade possessed as long as it would take the life he was trying to end. A life that was proving far more obstinate in its existence than he'd anticipated.

He polished the blade carefully, running an execution plan through his head.

There were so many details involved when committing murder, so many loose ends. Killing took careful planning, patience and, most of all, resilience.

He could not give up. No matter how terrible or unforgivable his mission was, he could not stop.

The curse needed to end.

He finished polishing and made a place for the blade on the west wall of the den among the other weapons.

Measuring thirty feet in length and fifteen feet high, the wall was covered from floor to ceiling with an arsenal from the last five hundred years. The weapons ranged from the most primitive of clubs to the most modern of knives.

But no guns. That was a personal preference the brothers shared.

One of the few.

Yami hung the dagger and stepped back to view the collection of weapons. He'd been trying to end the curse for nearly two years. He'd used nearly every weapon he owned on his brutal quest and all had failed him.

Hopefully, the dagger would not.

Yami sighed as he retreated from the den to the large office next door. He made is way to the back of the room and sat behind the large mahogany desk. He clicked on the computer.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Yami started his Internet search. A few months ago, he'd discovered the best way to kill his target was to hire a hit man.

Not because he enjoyed including others in his grisly task, but because he simply could not do it alone.

He'd tried—and failed—too many times to count.

And time was of the essence.

His computer came to life and alerted him of a new message waiting in his inbox—a fervent response from one of the assassins he'd tracked down.

It was amazing what you could find on craigslist.

The message contained a time and location to meet so they could exchange payment.

Yami's gut churned. It was easier than he'd ever imagined to find someone willing to kill for money. And, although he was sickened by the scoundrels who'd responded so eagerly to his online request, he was grateful for it.

Because he couldn't do this without help.

Maybe this time it would work. Maybe this time there would be a dead body, an empty soul; a chance for Yugi to truly exist and for Yami to be permanently free of the curse.

Yami responded to the assassin's email.

I'll be there.

He closed his computer screen and stared across the office, hoping it would all be over soon.

* * *

**Please review! I always love to here what people have to say. Reviews also keep the updates coming. ;)**


	7. Chapter Six

The next morning Yugi awoke to the sound of Joey's far-too-cheery voice—which was better than waking up alone in a forest, but not by much.

"Rise and shiiiiiine, sleepyhead!"

Even before opening his eyes, Yugi could tell Joey was smiling.

"Go away," he mumbled.

"No can do, Sleeping Beauty. We've got things to do today. Get up, up, up!"

Yugi cracked an eye open. "Are you seriously waking me up on a Sunday morning? In the summer?"

"It's for your own good."

Yugi rolled over and closed his eyes again. "I no longer acknowledge our friendship. You're dead to me."

Joey scooted to the other side of Yugi's queen-sized bed and sat on the edge. "Dead in a good way? Like a hot vampire?"

Ignoring Joey's joke, Yugi turned into his pillow. "Who even let you in my house?"

"Mai."

Traitor. "You're still dead to me."

Joey wiggled closer to Yugi. "But I brought coffee from The Millhouse."

Best coffee in Japan.

Joey's bright voice carried on, "Would a vampire bring you coffee? Probably not. Because vampires aren't very thoughtful of others. They're always trying to suck your blood and everything."

Yugi opened an eye, looked at the Millhouse to-go cup in Joey's hand, and inhaled. "You're pure evil." He slowly pulled himself up and took the coffee into his own hands.

"That's what I've been saying. Hot Evil Vampire. I think I just figured out my Halloween costume." Joey wagged his eyebrows.

Yugi took a sip of the café mocha, made a Mmmm noise and looked at Joey. "So, why are you here at this ungodly hour?"

Joey looked at the clock beside Yugi's bed. "It's 11:00 a.m., Yugi."

"It's ungodly a.m., that's what it is. And it's summer. You'd better have a good reason for disturbing my slumber."

"I do. Today, you and I are going shopping."

"Why? It's not payday."

"Why?" Joey looked incredulous. "Because we need something awesome for you to wear on your date with Atemu tonight."

Yugi took another drink. "It's not a date."

"It's a date."

Yugi shook his head. "We're just, you know, hanging out."

"Yeah, you're just hanging out. The two of you. Alone. Going to the movies. Having dinner. Hanging at The Kissing Festival. Yeah, nothing about that sounds romantic or date-like at all."

Yugi raised his eyebrows but didn't respond.

It was a date. Yugi knew it.

Two days ago, he didn't want to date anybody. But something about Atemu had completely changed his mind.

Maybe it was the way he looked at him.

Maybe it was his familiar voice….

Why did his voice seem so familiar, but nothing else about him triggered any memories?

Joey continued, "And even though I think Atemu's full of secrets, I still support you dating him. Mostly because you need to get kissed. Like, bad."

"Atemu's not full of secrets." Even as he said it, a warning bell went off in Yugi's head. A bell Yugi smothered with memories of Atemu's sexy smirk and deep crimson eyes.

"Uh, yeah he is. He was all hesitant and careful last night, giving vague answers about his life. He's definitely hiding something."

"Just because he doesn't want to share his life story with us doesn't mean he's hiding something." Yugi took a sip of coffee.

Joey thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "No. No, it's more than that. I can feel it. Something's…hidden. I just don't know what."

The bell blared in Yugi's head again.

Shut up, bell.

Yugi purposely rolled his eyes. "Can't you be supportive like a normal best friend and just be like 'oh, Atemu's so hunky and you should totally marry him and have little Egyptian god babies with him'?"

"Oh, you totally should. You two would for sure have Egyptian god babies together," Joey said. "And I am being supportive. I'm taking you shopping."

"At the crack of dawn."

"You mean the crack of noon? Yep, that's me. Waking you up before the sun sets. What can I say? I'm an evil vampire."

Yugi yawned. "You're lucky I love you."

"Yes. I am. Now," Joey stood from the bed and straightened his shirt, "we are going shopping in ten minutes. Get dressed. And when I say 'get dressed', I mean, 'let me pick out your clothes'."

Joey disappeared into Yugi's closet as Yugi set his coffee cup down and crawled back under the sheets.


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Here's another update! I love some of your reviews concerning Joey. I guess I did make him a little OC, but it does work. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and here's a chapter where you get to read more of the Sennen brother's love/hate banter. :)**

* * *

Ready for his night with Yugi, Atemu whistled as he made his way downstairs. As silly as it seemed, his palms were sweaty.

Not with nervousness, but with excitement.

The thought of being back in Yugi's life made his heart incredibly happy.

Yami, dressed in all black with a long dagger in his hand, exited the den as Atemu reached the main floor.

Atemu stopped whistling and paused. "Please tell me you're going to a ninja convention."

"Nope." Yami didn't make eye contact as he walked past his brother and entered the kitchen.

Atemu followed after him. "Then why are you dressed like a ninja?"

In the kitchen, Yami started making coffee. "I'm not dressed like a ninja."

"Black pants, black shirt…weapon…? Total ninja outfit."

Yami shrugged.

"And why are you making nighttime coffee?" Atemu looked his brother over a moment before it dawned on him. "Dude. Are you going to kill someone tonight?"

"Hopefully," Yami said, setting down the dagger and grabbing a coffee mug.

Atemu groaned.

His brother, a murderer. It just seemed wrong.

Fitting, for Yami's dark and bitter personality, but wrong.

But what was Atemu going to do, stop him? No.

If Yami broke the curse, Yugi would live, and that's what Atemu truly wanted.

What he didn't want was his crazy brother slashing up the townsfolk while he was out trying to enjoy his time with Yugi.

"Come on, Yami. How about you wait a day or two? How am I supposed to relax on my date with Yugi tonight if I know you're off playing Ninja Assassin around town?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'd hate to ruin your date with my inconvenient trying-to-save-Yugi's-life plan."

"What if it doesn't work? What if you kill this poor guy and nothing changes?"

"It'll work."

"How do you know?"

"Because Malik said so."

Atemu rolled his eyes. "Malik is crazy."

Malik Ishtar was their oldest friend and a bit of a curse expert. He'd been trying to help resolve the hex for years.

Without results.

"Malik doesn't know what he's talking about, Yami. He's speculating."

"No, he's not. If I'm successful tonight, the curse will be broken and Yugi will live."

Yami sounded casual. Like ending a life was no big deal.

Atemu shook his head. "What you're doing is wrong."

Yami poured himself coffee and took a sip. "Maybe. But it's worth it." He put his mug down. "I won't stop until it's over, Ate. This needs to end—for all of us."

Atemu jutted his jaw. He didn't like Yami's dedication to the whole "murder" thing.

But still.

The three of them had suffered the curse for a long time, and a cure—any cure—sounded appealing.

Yami finished his coffee and moved to leave the kitchen. But first he grabbed the knife off the counter and strapped it to his back.

Awesome.

Atemu raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously going out with a dagger strapped to your back? You might as well just wear a sign that says Look at me, I'm a killer!"

"Actually, yes. I have to take the dagger."

Atemu smirked. "Well, I'm not bailing you out of jail when you get pulled over for speeding and have to explain why you've got a medieval knife on your back like a psycho."

Yami shrugged. "Hopefully, you won't have to."

"You're crazy," Atemu said.

"One of us has to be," Yami said as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

"I hate you," Atemu called out half-heartedly as Yami exited.

Before the door closed, Atemu heard Yami holler back, "You too!"

Atemu flexed his hands as he stood in the kitchen.

All he wanted was a relaxing night out with Yugi. A chance to get to know him again and have him know him again. How was he supposed to relax when his brother was out cutting someone into pieces with a barbaric weapon?

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**Please review! :)**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Enjoy the next update! With school starting in a couple weeks, updating may become a little more difficult, but I will do my best to update at least once a week. With Cross Country and Band practices starting, too, I'll try not to leave anybody hanging to long.**

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Yugi's date with Atemu was going well. Partly because dinner had been delicious and the movie they'd seen had been funny.

But mostly because Atemu, in some indescribable way, put Yugi at ease with his presence. And his voice.

He asked him questions and listened to his answers. He nodded when he spoke about the things he loved, as if he understood just how he felt. He made jokes and pulled laughter from him.

And he looked at him—really looked at him. Like he was something he cherished.

Yugi had never felt so valuable.

He wasn't nervous, or anxious, or insecure around him. He wasn't giddy or gushing at his every word.

He was simply…normal.

And he savored every minute if it.

When he was around Atemu, Yugi forgot about his mysterious past and the questions that consumed him.

He was like magic, and he needed magic.

After the movie, they walked together down Main Street to watch the finale of the Kissing Festival—which was pretty much just a parade followed by fireworks.

"So, tell me about your family," Atemu said as he paid for two ice cream cones from the KissPop lady.

Yugi took a bite of ice cream while he thought about his answer. He had two choices. He could lie and act like his family life was completely normal:

I have two wonderful parents who bathe me in love. We sit at the piano every night and sing songs together before making cookies from scratch. And I have a dog named Mr. Poodles.

Or he could tell the truth:

If I have a family, they ditched me in the woods a few years ago.

The lie was always safer. But because Atemu made him feel so comfortable, Yugi went with the truth.

"I don't really have a family, but I have an awesome guardian."

It seemed appropriate, confiding in Atemu.

Logically, it made no sense to open up to a guy who was practically a stranger. But his instincts told him he could trust him.

And instincts were all he had.

"You have a guardian? That's cool. Tell me about her." Atemu took a bite of his ice cream.

Why did Atemu assume it was a woman?

Did he know about Mai?

An alarm went off again in Yugi's head.

He tilted his head to the side, looked at Atemu's gorgeous face, then pressed snooze.

"Her name is Mai and she's really pretty and really young. She works for some huge international company doing some kind of procurement. She's a terrible cook and she's more like a sister to me than a mom."

Atemu smiled. "She sounds perfect."

"She is." Yugi nodded and waited for Atemu to ask the inevitable question. The notorious, Why do you have a guardian and not parents?

Yugi was prepared to answer truthfully.

Because his instincts told him to.

But Atemu didn't ask.

Odd.

Was he trying to be polite? Was he afraid of his answer?

Yugi didn't know but, either way, he was relieved. Talking about being abandoned in the woods was kind of a downer. And he didn't want to screw up their perfectly nice date.

He looked up at him. "Tell me about your family."

"There's not much to tell…." He took another bite. "My family's originally from Domino. And my parents died when I was young so I've been pretty much on my own for a while."

Yugi frowned in sympathy. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "It was a long time ago."

Yugi's heart hurt for him. In a way, it was probably better not ever knowing your family than knowing them well and losing them. "So, you've just been, like, alone?"

"Uh…I lived with other family members for a while." Atemu cleared his throat. "Anyway, tell me about school. Do you like Domino High?"

"It's all right," Yugi said. "It's school, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. School's a bummer."

"Are you going to go to Domino High this year?" Yugi asked.

Atemu smiled broadly, and his eyes lit up. "Yes," he said. As if the thought hadn't occurred to him until just that moment. "Yes, I am."

Yugi nodded and smiled. "Maybe we'll have some classes together."

Atemu looked at Yugi with a crooked smile. "I certainly hope so."

As they finished their ice cream, a boom sounded in the distance.

They stopped walking and looked up to see fireworks. The high school band heading up the parade broke into a vaguely patriotic song as bright sparkles exploded in the sky.

They stood and watched without speaking until the song ended and the fireworks finale began.

Boom-boom-boom!

The sky lit up with brilliant colors and lights. People everywhere started kissing and hugging and cheering and laughing. From somewhere above confetti began falling around them, floating into Yugi's hair and landing on his eyelashes.

His eyes still on the sky, he felt Atemu's hand slowly reach for his. He slipped his small hand into his and smiled to himself.

What was it about Atemu that made him feel so…complete?

Shifting his eyes, Yugi saw a set of five stars hanging directly above them.

Suddenly, he no longer hated all the trees in Japan.

His eyes fell to Atemu's and for a moment he held his breath.

Ohmygoodness, he's going to kiss me.

Yugi didn't know if he was nervous or excited or afraid.

Atemu, the stranger who made him feel safe and normal, the stranger with the familiar voice, was going to kiss him.

And all of a sudden, Yugi had no hesitations.

He wanted Atemu to kiss him.

He wanted it more than anything.

He turned to face him with his cute dimples and Yugi looked up at him, excitement bubbling inside him as he smiled.

He leaned down and slowly pressed his lips to his.

Soft and full, they laid against his mouth, sending warmth and butterflies into his stomach as he kissed him back.

Everything about him…they way he smelled, the way he tasted…the way he placed his big hands on his hips and his fingers against his back….everything was wonderful.

Somewhere far away music was playing and confetti continued to fall, a piece landing gently on Yugi's nose.

He kept his hands on his strong shoulders and leaned up on his tiptoes to meet his mouth more fully. He wanted more.

Even with his eyes closed, Yugi could see fireworks.

And they were magical.

The Kissing Festival: Best. Idea. Ever.

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**So we have the date, and their first kiss, and Yugi decides the Kissing Festival isn't so bad. What could go wrong? And the mystery of this curse still carries on(hehe) :P. Reviews are very welcome and they keep the updates coming!**


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